Welcome! I'm Margo Wunder. I teach art to students at Silver Springs- Martin Luther School. Located in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, Silver Springs-Martin Luther School is a small licensed private school that provides an individualized educational program designed to meet the special education needs of emotionally disturbed students and students with autism, ages five through fourteen, in grades K-8. I am also a lecturer at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, teaching graduate and undergraduate students in the Art and Design Education Department. I hold an MFA degree in Sculpture from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and a BFA in sculpture and painting from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. I received my teaching certification with a Focus on Special Populations from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. I strive to bring my background of sculpture and fiber arts into the curriculum at Martin Luther School, and am working toward starting a wheel throwing and hand- building clay sculpture program there. It is a joy and a privilege to share what I know with aspiring Art educators at my alma mater.

Personal Work

As an artist, I find inspiration in process. The repetitive needlework of handmade lace and its associations with 'women's work' and femininity are often themes incorporated in the surface of my clay bodies and the compulsive creation of multiples and multiplicity in my two-dimensional and installational work. In this modern age of social media and sound bites, words carry great power, and one may also find the use of text in my functional clay pieces. This textural exploration ties in to themes of decoration as well as body image and memory and what it means to be female in the 21st century, challenging traditional and modern stereotypes of health, beauty, popular culture, and femininity.

In the Classroom

When the school year starts, it's all about my students. Teaching special populations brings many challenges, however facilitating the healing process and witnessing joy fostered in my classroom, makes the shift from personal work to student exemplars worth it!

Teaching students with severe emotional and behavioral challenges and students needing autistic support isn't easy. It requires 110% of my energy and I love it.

It has been quite a journey that has led to where I am now. As a teacher, I have learned to be willing to accept my mistakes and cultivate the mindset of a lifelong learner. Join me in this journey below...

Student Work

I believe greatness and gratification are possible for all. I set challenging, individualized goals and then work to ensure that each child achieves, building the habits, the techniques, and the self confidence necessary for continued success. I believe that students should be taught responsibility to themselves, their materials, and to those around them through modeling compassion, thoughtful inquisition, and mutual respect.

An authentic and relevant learning experience is key to motivating students. The needs of my students are put first- by advocating for proper materials and equipment, and, most importantly, by maintaining a safe, supportive, and inspiring environment in which to create and to learn.

I encourage my students to inquire, to investigate, to form opinions, and to foster a moral consciousness, which helps to inform and establish a dialogue about their own cultural background and its influence on their art making and their place in the world.